Knife for fabric-measuring machines



i l' f y @Mmm D. TURNER KNIFE FOR FABRIC MEASURING MACHINES Filed Julyi4, 1919 Mm. 2F, i923.

DOUGLAS TURNER, OF ST. LOUIS, "MISSOUBT, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO TEE MEASUREGBAPE COELPNY, F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CGBPOBJATION OFDELAWARE.

, @UFE FOR FBRIC-MEASURING MACHINES.

pplcaton led July 14,

To all w homz't may concern.'

Be it known that l, Decenas TURNER, a citizen of United States, residingat St. Louis. in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in Knives for Fabric-Measuring Ma-B chines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in knives or cutting blades, moreparticularly those adapted for use in machines `for measuring andcutting textile fabric, such as cloth, ribbon, and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved cutting meanswhich may be readily operated, which eliminates any tendw ency` oftheknife blade to stick, and which insures a clean cut. 1

The accompanyingr drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention,the knife constituting part of a cloth measuring machine. The inventionis not limited to this embodiment, however.

Figure l is a side elevation of saidmachine, a portion of the casingbeing removed to disclose the interior construction, and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 9?-2 of Figure l.

ln cloth measuring machines the operator places one end of the clothbetween a pair of friction rollers which are rotated as the cloth ispulled between said rollers. Suitable length indicating and priceindicating charts are preferably connected mechanically to one of saidrollers, whereby the rotation thereof gives the operator a visibleindication of the length of material passing between said rollers, andalso the price thereof at various standard prices per yard. At theconclusion of the measurement, the operator presses a notching buttonthereby making a small cut or slit in the edge of the cloth, thefriction rollers being simultaneously separated, thereby permitting theoperator t0 remove the cloth from between said rollers and continue thecut with a pair of shears, completely severing the goods at the exactpoint representing the required measurement of length.

ln the machine as made heretofore, the fabric has been cut or sheared bya pair of blades, one of which, the lower one, for example.,` is fixed,and the other of which 1919. erial No. 310,777.

is caused to descend, cutting the fabric by the well-known shearingoperation Under certain circumstances, however, there hasr` been atendency for the knife blades to rub and become worn at the point wherethe upper and lower shear blades slide over each other, and furtherdifliculty has sometimes been encountered by the sticking of the shearblades. The knife blade of the present invention obviates thesedifficulties, a construction being provided wherein, with the cloth in ahorizontal plane, the knife blade is substantially vertical and nievesacross they fabric, the cut being made by a single blade asdistinguished from a shearing operation requiring two blades. In thedevice illustratedthis result is accomplished by providing a blade, thecutting edge of which is disposed along a substantially spiral line,preferably a logarithmic spiral, rotation of the blade causing thecurved portion (of the cutting edge to moveradially outward from theaxis of rotation.

rlfhe mechanism, thus briefly described, is supported primarily by thevertical plate l, the latter ibeing mounted on the base plate of themachine 2. The price and length indicating charts and other parts of themechanism are located in an inner receptacle having a wall 3 arrangedat` right angles to the plate 1. knife operating lever 4 is mounted onthe pivoted stud v5, being preferably riveted thereto. This lever ismounted to swing in a vertical plane. The stud has a bearing in a.casting 6 attached to the wall 3 preferably by rivets 7. Said stud issecured in place by'a retaining washer 8 and nut 9. Y

The lower end of the lever 4 is provided with an arc shaped extension orsegment l0 having teeth cut thereon which mesh with a spur gear ll, thelatter being mounted on a stud l2 which in turn is supported by thevertical plate l. The operator oscillates said lever by depressing anotching button 13 at the upper end thereof, thereby rotating the gearwhich is in mesh with the arc shaped extension at the lower end of saidlever. Said lever is held in normal position against a suitable stop leby a spring 15 secured thereto at one end and at the other end to thevertical plate l.

I provide a rotary knife which is rotated from the lever 4: With anincreased angular movement With respect to the angular movement of thelever.

The knife 16 is mounted to turn with the gear 11, the cutting edge ofsaid knife being essentially portion of a logarithmic spiral. Said kniferotates on a horizontal axis. with said gear, the blade being locatedbetween tivo plates, one of Which, 17, is attached to the casting i8 byscrews or other fastening means 19, and the other of Which, 17a, is apart of the casing.

The knife is located adjacent to the starting button 20, thel latterserving when pressed to bring the measuring rolls and 22 into yieldingengagement With the cloth 23 Which the operator holds in a horizontalspan. between said rolls, said cloth being passed through an opening 2ain the casing 25 of said machine. Said rolls 21 and 22 are indicated inFigure 2 in idle position, separated sufficiently to permit the readyinsei-, tion of the cloth. The mechanism for lowering the upper rollagainst the lower roll l is not shown herein as .it forms no part of thepresent invention. At the completion of the measuring operation, theoperator depresses the notching button 13, thereby rotating the knifethrough nearly a complete revolution in a clockwise direction, the limitof its rotation being indicated in dotted lines in Figure l. 1t will beseen that the curve of the cutting edge is such that in any position ofrotation, tangent drawn to the point Where said curve intersects theupper surface of the. guide plates 17 will be substantially vertical,the same inclining slightly in the direction of rotation and the angleof inclination remaining` constant. The goods therefore will be slit bythe knife instead of being sheared, the knife operating easily and aclean cut resulting. The operation which rotates the knife serves also1go separate the rollers, the mechanism therefor not being shown hereinas forms no part ofthe present invention.

1t Will be evident that for a given. angular movement of the lever 4about its pivot, the knife 16 will be given a greatly increased angularmovement,hence a slight movement of the lever will produce a completerevolution of the knife.

The invention is not to be limited to the structural features describedherein except Where limitations appear in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a measuring machine, the combination of a measuring roller overwhich the material to be measured may be dravvn, a lhand-actuated. levermounted to swing in substantially vertical plane, a fixed plate, arotary knife to izo-operate therewith, mounted to rotate on asubstantially hori- :rental axis adjacent to one end of the roller, saidknife consisting of a. blade in a substantially vertical plane andhaving a cutting edge extei'idingy along al substantially spiral lineadjacent to the path of movement of the edge of the material so thatWhen the knife"is rotated on its axis, the cutting edge of the knifeivill' move progressively along said plate 'and across the edge of thefabric, and means for rotating the knife from the lever with anincreased angular movement With respect to the angular movement of thelever.

2. In a measuring machine, the combination of a casing having an openingtherethrough, a measuring roller mounted in the casing adjacent theroller, and over which the material to be measured may be drawn, ahand-actuated lever pivotally mounted Within the casing to swing in lasubstantially vertical plane downwardly toward said opening, a rotaryknife mounted to rotate in a substantially vertical plane and having acutting edge located near said opening and disposed along j asubstantially spiral line, and means for rotating the knife from thelever with an increased angular movement With respect to the angularmovement of the lever.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pivotedlever having a segment, a pinion meshing with said segment, a knifeblade mounted so as to turn with said pinion, said knife blade having acutting edge in the form of a logarithmic spiral, and a guide plateadjacent said knife blade.

4f. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pivotedlever, a starting button at one end thereof with respect to the pivotpoint of the lever, a segment at the other end thereof, a pinion rotatedby said segment, a knife blade rotated by said pinj ion, a guide platehaving an edge arranged radially With reference to the axis of rotationof said blade, said blade having a cutting edge and mounted so that theedge moves along said radial edge at substantially a right anglethereto.

5. a device ofthe class described, the combination of a base plate, asupport thereon, a pair of measuring rollers, a lever pivoted to saidsupport, a segment mount- `ed tovvard one end of said lever, a buttonadjacent the other end of said lever, a pillion also carried by saidsupport and meshing with said segment, a knife mounted in a planesubstantially parallel to said ,rollers and turning with said pinion, apair of guide plates between rotate, said knife having a cutting edge ofvariable radius, and a spring for holding said knife blade in normalposition.

6. In a. device of the class described, the combination of a pivotedlever having an extension constituting a segment, a pinion which saidknife may meshing with said extension, a knife blade mounted so as toturn with said pinion, said blade having a cutting edge in the formsubstantially of a logarithmic spiral, and 5 a pair of guide platesbetween which said knife blade turns, said knife edge moving outwardlyalong the edges of saidplates and being inclined slightly in thedirection of travel to hold the goods against said guide plate edges. y10 In testimony whereof, l have subscribed my name.

DOUGLAS TURNER.

